Heywood, Thomas

, an actor, and a writer of plays,
in the reigns of queen Elizabeth, James I. and Charles I.
has not had the time of his birth and death recorded.
Winstanley says, he was one of the most voluminous writers
ef his age: and, in a preface to one of his plays, he tells
us, that it was one preserved out of 220; of which number only 24 now remain. He displayed much learning in
his “Actor’s Vindication;” but what rank he held on the
stage none of his biographers have informed us. Langbaine observes of him, that he was a general scholar and
tolerable linguist, as his translations from Lucian, Erasmus,
and from other Latin as well as Italian authors, sufficiently
shew: the wits and poets, however, have always held him
| cheap. Besides his “Actor’s Vindication,” he wrote “A
Life of Merlin” The Hierarchy of Angels“Life of
queen Elizabeth” “The Lives of nine Worthies” “The
Lives of nine Women Worthies;” “A general History of
Women,” &c. &c. Notices of some of these may be found
in our authorities. 1

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